1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns the field of charges (or loads) releasable from an aircraft to which they are fixed and, in particular, their safety device to prevent their untimely activation before they are released.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most releasable charges, notably warheads and sub-munitions carrier vehicles, require the presence of a number of safety devices which should not be withdrawn except during the charge releasing stage. These safety devices should, firstly, prohibit the charge from being activated through a cable which activates triggering means that permit a firing of the charge or, secondly, prevent the withdrawal of other safety systems capable of triggering the activation of the charge. These safety devices are generally withdrawn by the action of cables, generally called releasable safety devices, one end of which is connected to a device having the function of withdrawing the safety device when a tensile force of a determined value is exerted on the cable, the other end being connected to the aircraft. The tensile force is exerted on the cable by the action of the load during the releasing stage. Safety devices fitted out with a sensor preventing the activation of a charge before its release have been developed and perfected, but their fabrication does not resolve all problems, notably that of knowing whether a cable has been pulled, i.e. whether a safety device has been withdrawn during any handling of the charge, before it has been hooked on beneath an aircraft.
An aim of the invention is to overcome these drawbacks by using a safety device that prevents the untimely activation of the charge before it is released, by means of a presence sensor making it possible, furthermore, to indicate whether an operation has been performed on the cable triggering the activation of the charge through the display of a position of the sensor.